


Heartbeats

by YeontanStan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A little fluffy, I Don't Even Know, Idiots in Love, M/M, a little angsty, dumb as a brick, watch me spiral into despair, what am i supposed to write in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 10:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14282784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YeontanStan/pseuds/YeontanStan
Summary: Kageyama Tobio takes a volleyball to the face, realizes he's madly in love with his most annoying teammate and tries to confess to him, all in the same day.He just forgot one very important thing : Hinata Shouyou is a profound idiot.





	Heartbeats

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> After almost 10 years of writing hiatus (mostly spent on Harry Potter roleplaying forums when I was a grumpy teenager) I humbly bring to you my first fanfiction ever, about two dumb idiots completely unaware how you are supposed to process human feelings. 
> 
> Please enjoy, and leave comments if you wish to do so, unless you want to scream at me! ( I have delicate emotions )

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAH ! KAGEYAMA I’M SORRY --  “

 

His surroundings were all white and crackling thunder, lost at sea in the storm that was his body, thoughts dissolved into inky spots forming clouds against a blank sky. He didn’t drift for very long ; already, chips of sound and color were tearing small openings in the fabric of his mind, reality dripping from the holes in thick ribbons of paint, and with it came the deafening shrieks of a panicked Hinata Shouyou. He could figure out the small shape of a boy flapping his arms around and screaming incoherent bullshit through the blur of his vision, the messy orange hair an unwelcome aggression into his world of flickering senses and faulty connexions.

 

His face was an ocean of pain, especially his nose. Only seconds ago did a volleyball pierced the air and found its way to him, granting his visage the vengeful embrace of a cheated lover. He slowly lifted his fingers to his swollen appendage and met the feeling of warmth and wetness - blood. He probably looked like a mess, and felt like one anyway. Around him were gathered concerned teammates, whose practice had come to an unfortunate halt. Hinata was still jumping around in some moronic behaviour, Sugawara’s face transformed into the perfect incarnation of worry, and he could swear Tsukishima was smirking at him from the side lines, rejoicing in whatever misery fell upon his life on this god-awful day.

  
  
“ Are you alright, Kageyama? “ Suga spoke softly, eyebrows a slight frown hovering over his eyes.

  
  
“ PLEASE DON’T HIT ME IT WAS AN ACCIDENT - “   


  
Tobio’s mouth released a deep growl, something guttural that came from the pit of his stomach. It was almost instantaneous, a conditioned response his body defaulted to whenever he was profoundly annoyed, and Hinata’s useless squawking  stopped ; the boy cowered before him, silhouette bent into submission. Some teammates often teased they operated on the same frequencies, like bats communicating through their myriad of echoes, screaming at each other with instincts instead of words. Hinata’s whole body was shivering, curled up in a small ball of stress, shielding himself with tiny arms as he waited in anticipation for his reckoning. Tobio squinted his eyes in confusion, lips reduced to a narrow line, not exactly sure how to react. He could still feel the blood wrap his fingers in a viscous coat, a thin sheen of sweat covering his body like a damp blanket, and the clock ticked on the wall with its mocking stare, hands casting judging shadows on numbers he couldn’t read. He felt the seconds eroding on his skin, stillness grasping at their bodies with the rising tides, waiting for the typhoon to fill their lungs with water and drown them, obliterating their bodies into infinite parcels of soul ... but nothing happened.

  
  
“ It’s fine. I’m fine. “ words finally escaped his mouth, tone perfectly flat.

  
  
He felt it instantly ; the aura of queasiness emanating from every person in the room, as well as the disbelief that shone through their stares. Suga’s frown deepened further and the senior’s eyes shifted to Daichi, who glanced back at him, a concerned look visible on his face. Tanaka hunched in the back with the look of a carrion bird, whispering something into Nishinoya’s ear, whose only reply was to cross his arms and nodd in silence. Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita seemed frozen in action, quizzically looking at a nervous Asahi, all straight mouth and anxious scratching at his facial hair. Tsukishima had even lost his cocky smile, an illegible expression stuck to him as he stood right next to a fidgeting Yamaguchi. Directly in front of him, Hinata gaped, petrified into a silent screech, eyes wide opened with a mixture of terror and confusion.   


  
Only then it occured to Tobio that the qualm was likely caused by his lack of reaction. By now, he should have grabbed the middle blocker’s collar in a furious grappling, shouting and cursing at his clumsiness, effectively reducing him to a pulp with the sheer power of his wrath ; the fact that it didn’t happen yet was a legitimate source for concern. _ Why didn’t I do that? _ He wasn’t sure he had an answer to provide. Thinking was hard at the moment, with the pain and the ticking clock and the eyes staring at him with ethereal twinklings. All he knew was he felt dizzy and a little sleepy. He sensed a drop of blood slide from his broken nose and splash his already damped shirt, a mere ripple on this motionless ocean. Still, movement was movement, and it was enough to prompt him to action.

 

“ … But don’t  _ fucking  _ do it again. “ the setter spoke, his voice renewed with the promise of anger.

 

Tobio raised his finger directly under Hinata’s nose, grazing at a tiny bead of sweat, stopping with frightening control right before their skin could even touch. His partner’s golden eyes instinctively shifted from the tip of it to gaze back at his cold grey scowl.

  
  
“ Dumbass. “

  
  
The insult seemed to act as a form of catalyst for normalcy, and life returned once again to the halls of Karasuno’s gym. Relief was starting to appear on his teammates’ faces as they all resumed their movements, uneasiness still lingering over their heads with its ghostly presence. Asahi looked really tired, all fuzzy hair and big hands scratching at his legs, his three juniors shifting in place by his side, faces blending together and smiles a little forced. Suga and Daichi harbored stern expressions, but a faint smile appeared on the captain’s lips and it seemed to be enough for now, and Suga smiled too, if not with his eyes. Tsukishima - the jerk - was back at his smirking, joined by the sneaky laughs of Yamaguchi, Tanaka and Nishinoya. Tobio did his best to ignore the band of cackling hyenas ; it wasn’t the first time he injured himself on the court, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Still, there was something foul in the air that left him oddly self-conscious, mocking glares that teared away at his pride, like he was a stranger in his own body. His throbbing nose was diffusing pain in constant waves all over his face and he wished for it to stop already, but he was utterly helpless, and this lack of control made him feel even shittier than before. He hated not to be in control.

 

It led him to look down and stare at Hinata ; surprisingly silent, the boy seemed stuck in a restless immobility, cheeks somewhat flushed, tiny fists clenched but eyes all low on the floor. Tobio found this fact highly unnerving ; he also hated things out of the ordinary. From the moment Hinata stepped into the gym until they were done and well on their way through the mountain, he was supposed to be this maelstrom of screams and jumps, the unleash of chaotic energy only stoppeable by chunks of curry buns stuffed into his mouth. Tobio wanted to speak, or even to shake him, but the pain made it hard for him to form coherent thoughts and move his body, his heart jumping out of his chest, bile burning at his throat. The setter could only look at his teammate with glaring eyes, hoping to get some answers out of fear alone. Hinata was still stubbornly ignoring him, and it got on his nerves.

 

Tobio felt a presence besides him, and Suga placed delicate long fingers on his shoulder. He slowly turned his head, resulting in dropping more blood on his shirt, and saw his senior’s face still plagued with concern ; in his other hand were some clean tissues. Tobio accepted them without a word, wincing under the pain when he pinched his nose, useless in his attempts to stop the blood from flowing and staining his clothes even more. By the time he arrived home, the red would have turned a dark shade of brown, and surely his mom would yell at him for not being careful enough.

 

“ You should go to the nurse office, Kageyama. You could have a slight concussion. “ Suga raised his voice and called out to their captain. “ Is it ok, Daichi? “

  
  
Daichi’s only reply was a swift, serious nodd of the head, and he loudly clapped his hands to gather the boys around. Suga gave Tobio’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, his eyes softly squinting when he smiled, and he jogged back to join the rest of their teammates, a light wave of the hand acting as a good luck charm. Tobio stared at them from his position. He was hurting all over ; he felt nauseous, his mind but a haze, barely functioning on resilience and spite. Yet, he somehow wished he could go back to his teammates and join the practice, just to feel the familiar sensation of the ball on his fingers, but here he was, bloody and beaten, arms dangling uselessly on each side of his body. He rarely felt worse.

 

Hinata still hadn’t moved an inch, but when he looked again it was different ; his head was up with a newly found resolve, fiercely glaring at him with the glorious might of his small stature. Tobio felt it everywhere around him, the flowing energy, the animalistic electricity, the intensity of it all ; gone was the injury, the messy face, the broken body. There were only Hinata’s resenting eyes, gleaming in the cold buzzing light of their gym with a savageness mimicking a bird of prey, and lost in that molten gold was a hint of concern. This was unusual, and these unknown feelings only made Tobio tense in anticipation. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, unable to figure out the missing piece of this puzzle, jaws clenched with misplaced pride as they found themselves cornered into an invisible wall. They were stuck into the eye of the storm, lost into oblivion, white noise echoing on their skin and scratching at their minds, heartbeats pulsating against their rib cages like tiny flickering moths ; air was strangling him, fingers intruding his throat trying to find the right words. Everything was thick around him, heavy sand rippling on his flesh, threatening to split his bones and crush his marrow, freeing his soul. It was too much, he needed to escape ..

 

“ Hinata ! “ Daichi’s voice reverberated on the walls, a commanding call to action.

 

With a single word, their glass prison was broken, the insufferable tension quickly dissolving into speckling dust, and only then the annoying middle blocker turned his back on him and swiftly ran away as practice resumed.

 

Tobio felt the strain leave his shoulders and a wave of jolting pain clashed against his body, a violent call to surrender and rest. He closed his eyes and grunted as he massaged the knots in his neck. Maybe he had a concussion after all.

 

\---

 

He angrily pressed at two buttons on the vending machine, feeling the familiar mix of anticipation and satisfaction at the buzzing sound of the mechanism and the soft thumbling of the milk cartons. Tobio leaned in and quickly grabbed the spoils with his calloused hands. He pierced one of the beverages with its tiny blue straw, hastily drinking it in one sip, throwing away the empty container like one discard a dead body in a quiet river. He repeated the same ritual with the second box and soon, there was no more milk, and he felt dissatisfaction fill him again, his respite too short for this absolutely terrible day.

 

Tobio’s nose was still badly swollen, but at least the pain had reduced to a phantomatic presence, wavering between numbness and a soft unpleasant feeling. The school nurse had given him a band aid and some pain killers, releasing him after some quick tests that proved he suffered no concussion. He still thought the band aid served nothing but give him the look of a lowborn thug who just got out of an alleyway fight, and he could swore he felt the remnants of a sanitized cotton ball stuck in his right nostril. He brushed some dried blood from under his nose and sighed ; he felt bad about missing practice, even if he was exhausted. He liked his routine, it was simple, it was efficient. School, volleyball, sleep. Repeat. For as long as he could remember, Tobio had always looked forward to playing volleyball ; but if it was a duty before, a test of might, it changed into second nature somewhere along the road. Karasuno saw to it. He had always been alone on the court, a tyrant king despised by all, so this camaraderie that linked him and eleven other teammates together was a novelty he still struggled to adapt to. It was strange to share these moments with other people, to be tied by will and hard work, a bond of sweat and hopes ; still, Tobio couldn’t say he hated it.

 

“ Oi. “

  
  
Of course, it came with unexpected repercussions. He didn’t need to turn to know who was behind him, he could sense the familiar energy, this duality stemming from rivalry and respect diffusing into waves and wrapping his body with delicate tendrils. The feeling of inexplicable synergy that tied them together was almost intoxicating, a mixture of their vital essences he could exploit as fuel and turn into god-like acts on the field. Their relationship was still a bit of a mystery to him, mostly made of annoyance and frustration, but there was something reassuring to it, to let their actions speak for themselves, and to trust so easily. If at first, they were like savage beasts snapping at each other in a corner of their cage, it had evolved in silent understanding and the sharing of a den.

 

“ What the hell was that. “   
  


Tobio finally turned to face Hinata, the ginger looking exactly as he thought he would ; tiny and pissed, fists clenched and glaring eyes. It always impressed him how much he could look fierce despite his short height, and for every centimeter he lacked, Hinata used his imposing aura to compensate. On the court, he always reminded him of a bird of prey, soaring the skies with piercing looks and a bestial grace, but in this instant he was more akin to a small feral cat. Hinata’s teeth were flashing in an angry glower and every inch of his face tensed with the anticipation of a fight.

  
  
“ ‘The fuck you’re talking about. “ Tobio grunted.

 

Patience had never been his strong suit, everybody knew that. If you had something to say to him you just said it, and you dealt with the consequences. Hinata always found ways to complicate things, using words that didn’t exist, or keeping things to himself when his nerves got the better of him. It just happened that today, Tobio’s tolerance for cryptic sentences was abysmal, and the setter had no wish for what seemed a useless confrontation with his most annoying teammate. He just wanted to go home, take a warm bath and sulk in the darkness of his room like he did on every bad day. However, if there was one thing the ginger was good at, it was persistence. Once Hinata had a goal in mind, it was impossible to convince him to let it go, and his only hope was for a sudden distraction to fall upon him and break his animalistic drive, like a shiny object or a steaming bun. Unfortunately for Tobio, he possessed no such thing.

 

“ You, dumbass! “ the small boy pointed at him with a shaking finger, his orange hair swooshing around his face like a swarm of buzzing bees. “ You were acting  _ way  _ too strange at practice. What the hell !? “

 

Tobio’s brows furrowed as he sighted deeply, his scowl amplifying ; Hinata took a step back, body moving on instincts as it always did when Kageyama’s anger grew, but he still stood his ground, determination written all over his face.This kid’s tenacity was frightening, and the setter found himself even more annoyed.

 

“ You threw a goddamn ball in my face, how am I supposed to act? “ he looked down on his teammate with a mix of exasperation and contempt, a facade he perfected being a volleyball prodigy during junior high. “ Why is that even an issue? “

  
  
“ Because … ! “ He felt Hinata’s confidence waver a little bit, words vanishing on the tip of his tongue. “ Because … “

  
  
Watching his teammate’s ideas crumble before him was almost painful, but Tobio didn’t care much ; it made for a fitting escape, calm logic a small victory over tenacity. Grabbing his bag by the handle, he found within himself the decency to wait for a few seconds as he passed the strap of his duffel over his shoulder, but Hinata stayed silent. He had a crushed look on his face, like he acknowledged his defeat but couldn’t digest it, and his body was shaking uncontrollably under immense frustration.  _ Too bad. _ Tobio shrugged and their arms brushed together as he passed right by Hinata, reminding him for the first time of how actually small he was. When he glanced back to look at the drooping shoulders and the messy hair, his heart sunk just a little. Inexplicably, he was feeling worse than before, and it irritated him deeply. On normal days, the setter would use volleyball as an outlet for his anger, but practice was out of his grasp and there he was, stuck with this inner turmoil and twitching fingers. 

 

“ KAGEYAMAAAAAAAAAAAA - “

 

The sudden scream hit him like a shockwave. His whole body jolted, propulsing instant pain into his stiffened neck. Eyes blackening with the clouds of an imminent storm, Tobio quickly turned back, grinding his teeth and blinking furiously. He was ready to discharge his stocked-up rage and yell at Hinata like there was no tomorrow ; the words built up in his throat but his gall died as it was rolling on his tongue. He wasn’t expecting to see Hinata all red and huffing as if he’d ran several miles, face stretched into outward hostility, but the worst was his eyes : they shot the sharpest daggers and were full of hurt and betrayal.

 

“ Don’t run away, you coward! ” spit escaped Hinata’s bare opened mouth and the red of his gum flashed aggressively at him. “ You ran away earlier, too! Why are you acting like a distant prick? ”

 

The words were harsh and surprising, and to his biggest surprise, true. Tobio sensed warmth spread on his face, a crimson shade slowly crawling on his cheeks, and he looked away in fear of betraying himself ; cowardice made him stubborn. Hinata could always sense when he was about to retreat into old habits, and it took his pride away, leaving him only with the shame that he somehow fucked up. He felt incredibly small in that instant, like a vanquished giant in front of a titan, suffocating as the air surrounding him wrapped silky elongated fingers around his throat. The tiny middle blocker was known for always saying what was on his mind, and Tobio had attributed that to his simpleness, but it was perhaps more because Hinata wore his heart on his sleeve ; that made him much more courageous than he was. 

 

“ Why didn’t you yell at me ? “ small beads were forming on the corner of Hinata’s eyes, a shimmering veil dangling on delicate eyelashes. “ You always yell at me when I mess up, and it’s scary … “

  
  
Tobio lifted his head ; his eyes met Hinata’s, and he saw a mess of raw emotions, conflict, agony. He felt a burning pain rise in his chest, his heart threatening to spill his insides on the soil separating them.  _ What’s happening to me? Why am I feeling so sick? _

 

“ But it’s scarier when you just ignore me! “ words were falling out of Hinata’s mouth as he closed his eyes, his tiny body shaking with the flux of his anger. “ I’m afraid you’re gonna leave me behind, like … “ 

 

Hinata huffed, steam escaping him in an almost imperceptible haze. Tobio was so still it almost hurt, his jaw clenching so hard with anticipation he felt every teeth grind against each other in his mouth ; all he could do was watch his partner spill his heart’s content as a drop of sweat rolled on his temple and vanished into a damp orange curl.

 

“ Like you’re a king, and I’m nothing. “

 

The anger was gone, and there was only sadness left, and defeat. There was no titan anymore, not even a giant, just a tiny silhouette abandoned in a detonated mine field. Hinata seemed so small in the aftermath of his heart cry, strangely exposed in the vastness of their school yard, and yet Tobio felt him slip away as the last sun rays died on the horizon. They’ve been through this before, not so long ago ; it wasn’t their first fall apart, but perhaps he was naive in thinking the wound had healed. The gash was opening again, tearing away at the seams they’ve been weaving around in their attempt to mend it, vivid flesh exposed in a scorching, blinding red. The worst part was probably that it was all Tobio’s fault. Whenever he felt trapped, cornered into asphyxiating walls, the setter always panicked and self-destructed ; Hinata was bound to be collateral damage. This time around, the wall just came surprisingly fast, and without him even noticing. When did Hinata become this good at feeling what was going on in the most secluded corners of his mind, at reading the darkness laying still in his heart, gnawing at his thoughts and corroding his soul? He was still standing in front of Tobio, mouth hardened in a last ditch effort at pride, but his lowered shoulders and watery eyes transpired a different truth, and that very specific mixture of innocence and hurt finally broke him.

 

“ I’m sorry. “

  
  
The words were simple and softly spoken, perhaps a little rasp but absolutely heartfelt. Hinata raised his head and their eyes met again, the sight of familiar golden dust making his insides all mellow. The sun was almost gone, remaining only as a faint line shining its dim light against the deep blue sky, and it embraced his partner’s silhouette with a peaceful warmth. The remnant flares were licking at his orange mane and shining through his locks, thousands of little specks dispersed into constellations in his hair, resembling a starry crown. It was almost surreal to look at, magnificent in an ethereal sort of way, and as Tobio absorbed every mote of light with his stare, calm settling inside of him since the longest time, the limpidity of this moment made the memories hit him hard and fast.

 

It was supposed to be a regular practice match between teammates, and everything was normal until it wasn’t. He saw the volleyball come towards him and raised his arms to block like he did a thousand times before, but somehow, as his vision shifted from the ball to the boy jumping right behind, it all changed. He saw Hinata suspended mid-air, tiny muscles flexed into motion, his hair flailing  around his face like the flames of a vivacious bonfire, beads of sweat leaving a shining trail behind him, a mass of firebrands. He could almost smell the smoke in his nostrils as the vivid imagery struck him, and the middle blocker seemed crystallized in time, immobile in his splendor, arms stretched behind him like flaring sun rays. Hinata looked carefree as he was jumping, his face glowing with the certitude he was gonna hit the ball, eyes focused on his prize. The cold lights were surrounding his head with a flickering halo and all Tobio could hear as time stretched was distant cries, a faint buzzing and the fastening beatings of his heart. He squinted his eyes, blinded by the sudden radiance of this slow-motion scene ; there was no gym anymore, there was no net, no ball, no other thing than this boy flying in the sky like he was the sun. Tobio felt a rush of unknown energy take control over his body, his mind drawing a blank as he was left with a single word on his tongue.

 

_ Beautiful _ .

 

Looking at Hinata standing on dusk’s edge and absorbing all brightness around him, a beacon of shining light guiding his way in the dark, he had the exact same feeling in his guts, and it clicked. It was here all this time, right in front of him, the answer to his unbalance, the state of equilibrium. All this turmoil, these incomplete feelings, the frustrating missing piece of his heart puzzle, all found in the simpleness of hands reaching out for the same goal. He was finally opening up to the deepest, most guarded part of himself, the closed doors of his mind releasing a maelstrom of emotions caged for so long, and it was almost too much at once, all the rawness of this novelty menacing to submerge him. It was scary in a whole new sort of way, these unknown feelings buzzing in his chest and echoing on the walls of his head, and Tobio wanted to voice it all, but he choked on the words. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again ; there was only silence coming out of him, a mute cough raising from his throat, and he felt incredible frustration in front of his inaptitude. Hinata shot him a quizzical look, and Tobio died a little, his pupils dilating with anguish. The setter sensed panic simmer in the pit of his guts, the burning acid of his stomach upset by the hurtle of sensations that overwhelmed him. The tip of his fingers were tingling as if tiny insects were crawling up his hands, raising all the way from his arms to his neck, scratching at his jugular, stealing his vital essence. It was too much to bear, the sudden rush of adrenaline filling his veins with poison ; he wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, to run a thousand miles and then fall asleep and never wake up. Why was it so hard? Why couldn’t he do it?

 

He felt Hinata swell with unease. Golden eyes were looking at him with concern, like he was having a stroke, and he almost laughed hysterically in that instant, wanting to pull dark strands of hair from his head. Hinata started to reach for him with his hand, mouth opening to say something ; his head finally tilted, and he stopped thinking rationally. He grabbed at his partner’s wrist with sweaty fingers, feeling his pulse beat faintly through his veins. Hinata’s eyes grew with surprise as the setter delicately placed his tiny hand right on his heart, Tobio’s glare firing up with a different kind of intensity, a look he never had before. His cheeks were burning, digging molten holes through the thick of his skull, and despite doing all he could to avoid choking on his own spit, he never felt his mouth so dry. Sweat was sprouting on his forehead in a myriad of shiny beads, his heartbeats blasting his eardrums with the steady, brutal rhythm of a war band. He tightened his grip on Hinata’s wrists, and the tiny fingers dug themselves deeply in the folds of his uniform. The ginger’s brow was furrowed, his face twisted under the hard focus of his thoughts ; Tobio was left waiting in this excruciating silence, seconds stretching in horrendous minutes, feeling so self-conscious he wanted to die. His body was too much, his mind was too much,  _ everything was just too much _ , all of these feelings mixing into thick, dark tar. Warmth emanated from his teammate’s fingertips, passing through the fabric of his shirt and releasing constant waves against his chest. He felt the heat resonate in unison with his echoing heart, and dared to hope a little, for balance and reciprocity ; however, it was all crushed when Hinata’s eyes finally raised to meet his own. He wished for a gleam, a twinkle, a flicker of something,  _ anything _ , but there was only confusion as the ginger shot him an apologetic glance.

 

Tobio could have laughed if he didn’t feel so defeated, and he sighted as his grip on Hinata’s wrist softened. He thought the sincerity of his heart would be enough, but it wasn’t, and now it was over. His fingers grew limp, and the small hand slipped off his, lingering at the tips, leaving a phantom trace of heat on his palm. He felt small and weak, like his insides had dried, leaving him an empty husk. He found life cruel to force him to stay here and watch the burning wreckage of his young love ; what was the purpose of feelings so pure, of an intensity so infinite, if it was to burst away in boiling steam and slip through his fingers, leaving his heart with ugly blisters bound to turn into scars? Staring intently at the ground, Tobio wanted to cry but he couldn’t, clenching his fists so hard his nails dug red trenches in the hardened skin of his palms. He refused to show his sorrow, not because he was ashamed of it, but because it was his and his alone. He refused to drown the sun.

 

He was about to turn around and leave when something suddenly pulled on his shirt. It was a hand. His gaze followed the fingertips, burned every subtle crease on his retinas, walked on the smooth shape of his toned arm, all up to his teammate’s face, to familiar eyes glaring with intensity. Tobio felt panic rise in his chest and tried to pull away ; he couldn’t confront Hinata, not right now, possibly not ever. He didn’t need pity, he didn’t  _ deserve it _ . Through the anguish that hazed his thoughts, through the signals his mind was sending his body to flee and hide, he was surprised to see Hinata acting calm, and above all, resolved. The tiny boy started pulling on his shirt even more, slowly closing the gap between them, and Tobio almost lost it, pupils dilating as he was falling into an endless pit of confusion and fear. His mind was thrown into chaos as he stayed frozen in place, unable to control his body, like a prey caught in the elaborated trap of a cunning hunter. Hinata’s face was so close Tobio had trouble focussing on the delicate facial features, and the last thing he saw before his vision turned into a blur was two golden eyes staring at him, and then darkness.

 

Their lips touched, only a soft graze at first, nothing more than the fluttering wings of a butterfly. After a second, it melted into a firm touch, and Tobio felt all tension leave his body at once, cascading from his shoulders and dissipating into the ambient air. His hand instinctively reached for Hinata’s hair and he buried his fingers with a restrained firmness into soft orange curls, bringing them together. Their bodies shared a closeness never experienced before, clothes so thin he felt almost naked, skin against skin, bathing in a comforting heat ; this proximity was exhilarating, but nothing could compare to Hinata’s lips, the way their roughness scratched gently on his own, how they relished in thousand new flavors perfectly blending together. He tasted like sweat and a faint touch of honey, like sea salt and bitter sap, clear river water crashing against polished rocks, something between sweet and savage, and strangely, home. They stayed like that for a while, lost in the moment, the kiss chaste but intense in its own kind of way. Finally, their lips parted, and as he absorbed one last warm breath, one that left him with memories of sweet bread and victory, Tobio’s senses came back to him one after the other. Surrounded by darkness, it was quiet around them, the buzzing sound of the vending machine resonating in harmony with the crickets’ serenade, sounds of distant cars lost somewhere on the mountain’s pass. Strands of dark hair were gently caressing his face, his lips cold with the breeze blowing on wet saliva, and his hands were still tucked into thick curls ; it was incredibly peaceful, and Tobio wished they could stay like this forever, touching, feeling, but Hinata was panting and his eyes were glassy. He let go of Hinata’s head and lifted his fingers to touch his mouth as if all of this was a mirage, a trick of the light ; he could have believed it, if it wasn’t for the ginger boy staring back at him, flushed, lips shining with spit, eyes softly gleaming. He watched him cross his arms.

  
  
“ You know, for someone who yells so much, you’re pretty hard to figure out sometimes. “ he said that shyly, but there was smugness in his tone, the corners of his lips lifting in a twitching smile.

  
  
Red crept on Tobio’s cheeks and he blushed again. He was a bit embarrassed, and still a little scared, but he was happy, at peace. He looked at Hinata’s face, at his big eyes full of mischief, his delicate nose painted with a soft blush, messy curls licking his ears and surrounding his intoxicating grin. He gently cupped his cheeks in his palms and lifted the boy’s head to meet his own.   
  


“ Shut up. “

 

He felt Hinata’s smile blend against his lips as they kissed again.


End file.
